good morning, america. breaking news on the halloween superstorm. strengthening overnight. the massive hurricane on a collision course with two winter storm systems. 50 million people in its path. bracing for surging walls of water, up to 11 feet high. homes already destroyed. hundreds of thousands more in danger. >> this is a serious and big storm. >> air travel at a virtual standstill. thousands of flights canceled across the country. and the nation's largest public transit system shut down. the storm even shakes up the presidential campaign. officials warn voters to evacuate. >> my job for the next couple of days is to keep people alive. if they're not alive, they can't vote. >> sam, josh and chris in the field. "good morning america's" special coverage starts right now.

and for all of viewers in the west, you're looking live at the superstorm. that is nags head, north carolina. the surf is kicking up. it's been doing that for hours. already slammed hard by winds and rain. the storm devouring the beach and homes all light long. good morning to everyone in the west. as you know, robin recovering from a bone marrow transplant. we have amy robach here. >> the storm is so far out to sea. it's strengthened to 85 miles an hour overnight. we have some pretty remarkable video here of matt gutman, caught in the rising surf. what we always try to avoid.

sweeps his producer out of there. they were okay. safely moved away from all of that water. it's so unpredictable and so powerful. >> everyone is moved out of the water right now. this is a once-in-a-generation event. sam, it's a little after 10:00 a.m. in the east, 7:00 in the west. what is sandy's track right now? >> we're in a little break of wind and rain. a lot of people have decided to come out and take a look at the water. don't like that, because there's so much more ahead of this storm. let's show you what it looks like with the satellite picture. we'll show you that satellite, that entire cloud span from the carolinas and bermuda, basically, all the way up the eastern seaboard. we have seen a little eye come

and go in this storm. it continues to strengthen on its path. here is the path. follow the red line. this storm, by about -- depending on the model you go with, by 8:00 tonight on midnight tonight this storm is making landfall on that jersey shore some place near atlantic city. there are some bad pictures to see with this storm. the effects have already been devastating. look at this house in rodanthe, north carolina, parts are breaking off and falling into the ocean. north carolina saw more than six inches of rain in the past 24 hours. sandy's winds could be up to 90

miles an hour this afternoon. 24-foot waves off the southern coast of new jersey and 30-foot waves off the carolina coast. the "h.m.s. bounty" was stranded and taking on water. 14 people were rescued from lifeboats and plucked way by jayhawk helicopters. two people are still messing. all of this power and damage, and sandy is still well offshore. what makes sandy special? this time of year, most storms and hurricanes move east out to sea. sandy is moving north and will turn west. the storm is monster sized. clouds stretching over 2,000 miles. tropical storm-force winds more than 1,000 mile. as sandy makes its way up the eastern seaboard, it's colliding with an arctic cold front from the west.

sandy is a superstorm. >> this storm is going to be destructive, historic, and unfortunately, life-threatening. >> and it will often come in waves of wind and rain. do not be lulled into a false sense of security if the wind dies down or the rain dies down momentarily. take a look at the wind field. this is not just a coastal event. this moves well inland with the strong winds. the winds will be hurrica hurricane-force for a long time. that span will go far inland, almost to buffalo, well on the way to chicago. we're looking at the winds from 20, 40, to 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts. side waist raining bands on wind in southern new jersey. the heaviest target for the next few hours. this storm will move inland.

it will have heavy rain indand for days to come. where the storm is supposed to make landfall, ginger zee is right there. good morning, ginger. >> good morning, sam. right here in atlantic city. this was covered in water at high tide. look at the violent serurf off my left here. that is not close to what they'll see tonight. the second high tide at around 8:00 p.m. see the barrier over there, the iconic boardwalk. we could see water with the 10 to 20-foot waves rush over. on the other side of the islands, all the way up the shore, another bay or other inlet could bring more water to the middle. one last note, we are already seeing some flooding in atlantic city before this whole thing even starts. sam?

>> that's the water right on the shoreline. chris cuomo join us with more. what are you seeing? >> surge. surge is the big concern. we're benefitting from high tide leaving on the east coast. it's a full moon. it will be more. low-lying areas like new york city, they are already at sea level. it can fill up like a basin. sandy's storm surge will be wind and water at its worst. >> the massive flooding likely the biggest threat to loss of life >> reporter: storm surge pushes water 10, 15 feet higher than normal. a wall of water invading inland. an extremely deadly wall of water powerfully invading areas. 90% of all hurricane deaths.

to make matters worse, sandy with her high wind is getting a head start, a full moon. during a full moon, gravitational pull on the ocean is at its strongest producing high tide of two to four feet. and residents dug in with protective sand berms. long islanders filled up windows and side streets with sandbags. even to stop the fit from the sea with the full weight of the ocean behind it. >> we packed 35 sandbags and brought them back to the house. then we put plastic and sandbags and boarded up. >> reporter: sandy could turn lower manhattan into a virtual flood zone where experts predict considerable flooding in an area that has little elevation. last year, hurricane irene had less than five feet of surge. but that made driving through the wall street area an adventure. new york city is lucky to have the high-rises. be very clear. this ain't irene.

the water will come. could be 8, 10, 12 feet high. as brave as you are, we won't be here tomorrow morning in this spot. >> we won't. a lot of tourists are out now, now gnat we have daylight out. there's much more of the storm to come. we'll cover it all morning long. >> let's take a look at the tourists. times square normally crammed with traffic at this time. people out there walking around, taking it all in. sandy has forced new york city officials to shut down the subways for the second time in in city's history. josh, a lot fewer people than usual. >> it's not just less crowded. everything here is shuttered. the winds pick up the rain again starts to fall. this is a subway station closed for business. not the only station that is. every station throughout the city is closed as new york prepares for the superstorm.

this morning, the largest transit system in the country closed down. threats of massive flooding closing new york's 850 miles of subways, trains and buses through discuss morning, affecting some 9 million commuters. >> this is nothing play with. this is nothing to take lightly. >> reporter: new york city trains are especially vulnerable to floods and damages. the underground station lie under the water line. overnight, the mta prepared 300 pump rooms and portable track pumps to deal with the worst case scenario. water damage causing commuters to be stranded indefinitely. >> don't want to damage the equipment and have a real problem getting the system up and running. >> reporter: major cities up and down the east coast are taking similar precautions. new jersey's transit system that moves nearly 1 million commuters every day also coming to a halt. >> new jersey transit has implemented a system-wide shutdown. we need people to stay home and stay safe. >> reporter: in philadelphia,

nearly 350,000 commuters are looking for other ways to get around this morning and further south in d.c. the washington metro is closed off for some 800,000 riders. very unusual circumstances here. just the second time in the city's history that the entire transit system has been closed. the first time? just a year ago waiting for hurricane irene's arrival. millions of people have taken the city officials' advice and stayed home today. >> sandy causing a real mess for flyers, too. the impact felt all the way to the west coast. some planes still in the air sunday night. but look at this morning. the skies much emptier. jim lavila has the details. >> reporter: nearly a total ground stop here. the flights are canceled. almost all across the country,

whether it's trains, butss, and also planes, have been canceled this morning. take a look what we have here at reagan national. this airfield, this corridor, completely empty. look at the boards over here, they become cancellation walls at the airports tell people to stay home. >> reporter: this morning, much of the nation as a standstill. the ferocious superstorm crippling much of america's transportation system. amtrak trains and airports from north carolina to boston virtually shut down. nearly 7,000 flights canceled. most either fly from or through one of the hubs in sandy's path. >> you prepare, prepare, prepare, and then they can change. >> reporter: all those cancellations are creating a ripple effect. forcing delays as far west as seattle and san francisco. stranded passengers, for the most part, taking it in stride. >> it's not the airport's fault. you can't really control the weather. >> reporter: on sunday, united and jetblue moved the planes out of the strike zone until tuesday.

but at jfk and laguardia, low-lying new york airports, there's concern about the storm surge. >> the thing that we're going to be watching very, very closely is going to be the flooding and the flood potential here in new york. and with these airports basically at sea level that poses a major risk to us. >> reporter: even when flights resume, jetblue's ceo says that delays could last until the end of the week. >> it will take us a couple days, probably until at least thursday, if not friday, to get back to normal with something this large. >> reporter: meantime, trains have been derailed too. amtrak shut down all east coast service. normally more than 300 trains would be running today. about the only good news at east coast airports today, no security line, amy. >> all right, thank you so much, jim avila. so much of the east coast is bracing for the aftermath of sandy. let's go to matt gutman in nags head, north carolina. it's been downright dangerous where you are.

>> it has been. we've been pounded for 40 straight hours. the waves behind me, how powerful it is. just about and hour ago, we got knocked down by a rogue wave. that's why we moved up here. now 100 miles out at sea, still two people missing in the surf. the coast guard is undergoing search and rescue operations. they're about an hour north of us. the rest of the survivors, 14 of them, we're going try to talk to them and bring you the latest. >> this storm affecting about one-third of the country. we got chance to talk to the man who runs our nation's hurricane center, dr. rick knabb. we're hearing superstorm. everyone is familiar with hurricane and they're familiar with nor'easter, but the term superstorm is going to catch them by surprise. describe that. >> what we're dealing with is a

large hurricane. that might lose its tropical characteristics as it moves in. it's not going to matter. it's a large storm impacting a large number of people, including well inland in mountainous places like west virginia with heavy snowfall. but the coastal impacts are going to be the storm surge for which several people, several areas, have been ordered to evacuate. and the strong winds, hurricane-force even. especially gusts at the coast. and rainfall moving well inland. this is not just going to be a coastal event. a lot of people are going to be impacted and a slow-mover over the next few days. >> now, i've watched you cover storms like this for a long time. tell me, rank this one for me, in that list of storms that will go down in the top five, top-ten storms, where do you place this storm in its strength and its damage? >> you know in reality, it's very difficult, if not

impossible, to rank storms overall, because every storm is different. this is coming in on a track and with a structure and intensity that we haven't seen exactly before. and so you could be experiencing something you've never experienced before at your location out of this particular event. >> rick, this thing definitely going onshore, no doubt about it? >> oh, there's no question. this is going to come onshore late tonight, early tomorrow morning. that's when the center of circulation is going to come onshore. but bad weather is already on the coast. once the bad weather starts in your location, it could last for two to three days in terms of the lengthy periods of rainfall and strong winds. and at the coastline, the water levels are coming up today and they're not going to come down for two to three days. >> it's a rough next couple of days. and it has all the elements. dr. rick knabb, thank you your time. sandy is shaking up the race for the white house. with just eight days to go, both campaigns have scrambled their schedules. president obama canceled han

appearance in orlando. he just canceled an appearance in green bay. jake tapper is in orlando this morning. >> reporter: in addition to preparing for the final week of this hard-fought race, president obama, mitt romney and their campaign are preparing for hurricane sandy. >> in times like this, one of the things that americans do, we pull together and help out one another. >> reporter: the obama campaign is encouraging supporters by facebook, e-mail, twitter, and their home page to denaonate toe hurricane relief effort. the romney campaign loaded supplies on the bus in virginia to prepare to deliver them to local storm centers after the storm hits. >> i know right now some people in the country are nervous about the storm to hit the coast. our thoughts are with those people, and our prayers are with the people in harm's way. >> reporter: safety. >> fact is, keeping people alive

first. >> reporter: will the storm impact the race? >> well, i hope it's not going to affect the voters by election day. >> reporter: it could. in virginia where there's a virtual tie, voters who may be affected by the storm can now vote absentee in person. while storm preparations have been going on, so has the campaign. the president in nashville and new hampshire reminded voters of fees that went up while romney was the governor of massachusetts. >> he raised fees to get a birth certificate which would have been expensive for me. >> reporter: afterwards, he made a stop at a common man's pub. >> to america. doesn't matter what party. >> and already this once in a lifetime storm has significantly affected the campaign. with romney and obama canceling 18 events. and as you mentioned, president obama just announced he will no longer appear at this orlando rksz florida, rally. he's trying to get ahead of the weather, fly back to washington and monitor hurricane sandy. >> and will not be in wisconsin

tomorrow. let's get back to sam. >> another rainmaker on a different coast today. into the northwest today, 2 to 5 inches of rain with this system coming on shore there. it's real soccer. it gets in soaker. there is that area, two, three, up to five inches of rain. into northern idaho, there are flood watches and warnings. l.a. showing off at 82 degrees. it's pleasant in albuquerque at 81.

>> and we are live in lower manhatt manhattan. we will follow sandy as it moves. george? amy? coming up, we're actually going back to where the eye of the storm will cross. atlantic city right there. plus, those high winds and heavy rains expected to take down trees and power lines. we'll have the latest on the massive power outages expected.

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people turned a vehicle over on market street, climbed on cars and stopped traffic. firefighters put out a fire on a muni bus. srafrpb dells set news racks and trash on fire. others in the mission district clashed with police after being warned several times to clear the streets. police made a few arrest there is were some injuries to officers and civilians those numbers will be released later this morning. giants will be honored with a parade wednesday morning. mayor lee announced last night that the city will salute the champions just as they did in 2010, with the downtown parade concluded with a celebration at civic center plaza. the parade will start at 11 in the morning at the foot of market wednesday, then follow market to the civic center. you can watch the parade live on abc 7 wednesday it will be streamed live through ipad app and on our website. sue is following the commute. fog still a factor southbound 101 past the civic center up into the fog in

central san rafael there's a stall at lincoln on the right lane bumper-to-bumper traffic here to the bay bridge metering lights on, stall there as well, past metering lights to upper deck very slow traffic to napa north 101 dry creek road car slipped into em

here's a look at some of

the fog around the bay this morning barely see the top of the embarcadero center because of that fog thick fog advisory in affect until 8:00, north bay valleys, bay shorelines towards the coast. live doppler quiet, flight arrival delays that sfo around 66 minutes, we don't have organized areas of wet weather. quarter mile visibility napa, 3/4 sfo, less than a quarter napa, i should say novato, 3/4 concord. you can see how tricky it can be to get around. 45 santa rosa, the rest of us in the low to mid 50s. estination, mid to upper 70s

♪ those are live pictures from atlantic city right now. that is where the eye of the storm is expected to cross. you can see the waves already churning right there. and the superstorm is going to be a once in a lifetime event. that's what they say at the national hurricane center. tens of thousands have been ordered to evacuate already because of the potential for heavy flooding and punishing winds. sam is leading the abc news extreme weather team coverage this morning. we're going to talk to him in just a moment. as we say good morning, america. as you know, robin is home recovering from a bone marrow transplant. good to have amy robach here. and lay out of breaking news. that's right. scompaengtded to topple trees and take down power lines. the storm is expected to leave

millions in the dark. >> let's look at cruise ships right now. that is the latest thing that can happen to a cruise ship in the path of a storm like this. passengers riding out the dangerous waves. we'll have a report on that. >> and i know there's several ships out on the water where the water's waves are churning so high. we're thinking about that. and we also have the complete survival guide. what a family needs for the next few days. i know i was out there, i was online, in the stores. and what you need. and also what to tell your children about the storm. we want to get right to our team coverage. sam champion is leading us off from lower manhattan. >> and good morning, everybody. we're going to start with the effects of this storm. this is going to go all day today, into the night. and things are going to get worse. if you're waking up thinking oh, this isn't so bad. just wait. this storm is going to make its way onshore around midnight tonight. you can see sandy working its

way closer to coastline. it will mix in with that cold air. it has not lost any strength. as a matter of fact it has gotten more strength overnight. and then it will get that burst of energy making its way with cold air. making its way onshore. we think it's close to 1:00 a.m., that is the most likely time with the speed that's traveling right now. and the wind and rain are the effects of this. our ginger zee is right there. right where you follow that red line through atlantic city. that's where she is. good morning, ginger. >> good morning, sam. i want to start with safety. i want everyone to be assured that my crew and myself and all the other crews we have that is what we're concerned about. the tides are changing in about ten minutes in atlantic city. and you can feel the effects already. we've got the board walk behind. just eerie music playing. there's no one to dance to it. last night, we had a half inch

of rain and there was already street flooding. we called the emergency managers. they said that's why because the tide is so high. we have to check in with david kerley in rehoboth beach. >> good morning, ginger. we're seeing what you're seeing. the waves coming up to hit the dunes here. after all the surge, 50 million people that we're talking about may be affected. and 1 in 5 of them could lose their power. this morning, as the leading edge of sandy is beginning to slam the coast, reinforcement, convoys are on the way. an army of utility workers from as far away as oklahoma and iowa now headed east. >> you see that? >> uh-huh. >> reporter: we were with larry jackson as we was already working to restore power to homes on the coast. knowing the storm is still ahead. >> we'll work 16-hour days. >> reporter: the power outage is

expected to spread. what researchers suggest, as much as 10 million could be affected. >> we think that may be under the estimate. >> reporter: when the east coast looks like this, meantime, utilities along the storm path -- >> we took down the tree. >> reporter: -- have emergency control centers up and running. and are prepared. >> we're prepared but room for concern. >> reporter: concern among veteran utility officials. >> the width of the storm is so massive, we really don't know what's going to happen. >> reporter: and that's a dilemma as delaware's governor told us after the storm, it's the power outages that worry him. >> the problem is, when people lose power, it could be a couple days before people have power restored because of the wind. >> reporter: what should you do? get the essentials. >> we have lantern, flash lights. batteries, radio. >> reporter: other tips. never run a generator inside the

house. unplug appliances and tvs so they aren't damaged when power comes back on. if you don't open the door to your refrigerator, the food will be good for about four hours. here's another tip that i'd not heard before. if you have a thermometer with a lead, keep the door closed. once again, these power outages could go on for a week or more. you may lose everything that's fresh or frozen. >> i'm going to write that one down, thanks very much, david. let's go to josh's other stop stories. gas prices are falling across the country this morning. prices have in fact dropped 13 cents in the last week. down to an average of $3.54 per gallon. five east coast oil refineries are in the storm zone and have shut down or reduced production. but oil supplies across the country are already at their highest level in years for this time of the season. that's helping to keep prices down at least thus far. and the hunt is intensifying

for the person behind a highway shooting spree that's putting drivers on edge across michigan and has for weeks now. the shooter struck twice this weekend, and for the first time, someone was injured. the victim was seen limping on surveillance video, you see here after being shot in the hip. 30 minutes earlier, a bullet had smashed through the rear window of another car on interstate 86. two dozen cars have been targeted in the last two weeks. and new developments on the deadly meningitis outbreak blamed on a massachusetts pharmacy. authorities have now closed a second pharmacy in that state after a surprise issue found, quote, unusual conditions. unquote. 350 has become ill. and call it a sweep for the ages. take a look as tigers' triple crown winner miguel cabrera took

an 89-mile-per-hour fastball. the giants win the seventh straight game in the postseason. four coming here in the world series. they take it on visiting soil. the giants complete a very unlikely run to a second world series title in three years. and, guys, as a dodgers fan it hurts me in my gut as we see the celebration in san francisco. no injuries reported, though fireworks, some fires, in fact were set. as much as i'm hurt, i have to tell you, i'm a fan of the sport. this as likable a team as we're going to see, and, boy, it was a terrific thing. >> you're a good sport for saying that. >> kind of hurt coming out there. >> squeezed it out. >> thank you. time for a look at the weather and sam champion who is bracing for sandy there in lower manhattan. sam? >> yeah, it's unbelievable. just a quick look at that althoughing water back there. you see white caps in the new york harbor. this water rolling almost like

it's the ocean itself. but let's start with some other situations that are caused by this storm. one of them the snowfall. believe it or not, we've got blizzard warnings out in some states as well and winter storm watches out in other areas. look at the area shaded in purple. and this storm with the cold air intrusion and all the other water coming in will pile up the snow. 12 to 18 inches of snow. there will be area areas that get snow. a quick look at the big board. we'll talk about that rain in the northwest today. the gorgeous weather stretches from basically philly -- i'm sorry from phoenix, all the way to l.a. up towards denver as well. dallas, you're 69 degrees. that's not too bad. orlando's beautiful at 69. we continue to wat

>> and we are live in lower manhattan. we're not quite at high tide just yet, but that water already lapping at the edge. >> it is. sam, thanks. much more on sandy ahead. it's on course with two other people systems. is this all about to create the perfect storm? chili's lunch break combos start at just 6 bucks. so ditch the brown bag for something better. like our bacon ranch quesadillas

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we are back now. it is 7:42. and forecasters nationwide are saying hurricane sandy could bring perfect storm conditions even more so than the storm that inspired the movie. abc dan harris is here to talk about those who don't believe the hype. >> lara, good morning to you. you see the forecasters, standing out in bad weather and it could all seem theoretical, not to mention inconvenient. there's that voice of denial that will say it won't be that bad. >> sandy may pose the greatest risk to human life. >> you can see with the winds, they continue to whip. >> this shaping up to be quite the monster. >> reporter: the forecasters could hardly be using stronger slang. it conjures images of movies like "the perfect storm." and "the day after tomorrow" where a giant wave hits new york city. but in real life new york, we found a lot of people who say

they don't believe the hype. >> are you going to panic new york or what? >> reporter: part of the problem, the last big storm to come through here, tropical storm irene, did a lot of damage to outlying areas but was pretty much a big nothing burger for new york city. >> it was like last year's storm, oh, darn. >> reporter: and that's why those in the evacuation warn are blowing off the warning. >> we're not moving out. >> reporter: the governor of new york is very worried about this psychology. >> this is not the time to take a chance. but whatever it is, it is going to be very serious. and again, it is nothing to be dealt with. >> reporter: the movie "the perfect storm" that was based on a real storm that took real lives. and remember katrina? thousands of people wouldn't or couldn't heed the warning and had to be rescued. so how do we handle any creeping cynicism in the face of sandy?

perhaps we take our cues from the movie. >> the storm is going to get worse. we stay inside, we keep warm, and we wait it out. >> you know, the mayor of new york city had a very powerful comment about this. he said if you live in an evacuation area and you refuse to leave, you're not only risking your own life but also the lives of first responders who may have to come and rescue you. lara, back to you. >> thanks so much, dan. coming up next, surviving the storm. everything you need to keep your family safe. and what people in the path of the storm are saying right now. "good morning america" will be right back. maybe you can be there;

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welcome back. so many people, of course, posting and tweeting online as sandy gets ready to strike. and we can actually take a look now at this incoming hurricane. actually how people are using social media to really tell their stories. sandy makes her way up the east coast and now banks for landfall, it's really becoming a procession of sorts.

take a look here. 4 million tweets in the last hours alone. people struck by these nasa images. this storm again, more than 1,000 miles across. and that reaches, well, all the way up the eastern seaboard. take a look. this came in from state college, pennsylvania. of course, the run on supermarkets for really the entire eastern seaboard. these are familiar scenes. we all saw them in the last few days. and it's not just supermarkets, everybody. take a look, baltimore, maryland. they're waiting in line at liquor stores. apparently, there's only one way. >> it's going to be a long time. >> again, what did you see? were you all out? >> standing in line, trying to get milk and water and the basics. >> the gas station lines, ran out of gas. >> it was like the alate '70s.

everybody ran out gas. we're showing you the images. we're telling you both what to prepare for the storm and what to tell your kids. we're not taking this storm in the least. going to prepare to affect 60 million people. we saw fans all morning long. here on "good morning america." how to keep you safe, your family safe. >> how to be totally prepared. also, taking a look at what is in sandy's path right now. go nowhere. [ female announcer ] ready for a taste of what's hot?

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good morning. giants are expected to arrive home from detroit 3:00 this afternoon after sweeping the tigers win their second world series in three years. the game went 10 innings scutaro's base hit score from second then romo struck out cabrera, looking to end the game. nasty pitch, it is over. after the game, fans in san francisco turned to vandalism. sky 7 hd was overhead as they set fires downtown near at&t

park and mission district they overturned a vehicle, pounded on cars and set a muni bus on fire, police made rests and there were injuries further details later in the morning. right now the weather. good morning, live doppler showing how dry it is as far as radar returns. we don't have organized areas of drizzle or rain but we have fog. look how thick it isqgjór, it is going to hang around the next couple of hours right now 40s and 50s, 70s from the coast. >> antioch, accident westbound 4 at san marco blocking left lane very, very slow jammed even 242 and 680 due to an earlier accident there. bay bridge toll metering lights on traffic backed to the overcrossing.

this morning, the halloween superstorm. an historic force of nature. three storm systems colliding in one. 50 million people in its path. bracing for storm surges up to 11 feet high. homes already destroyed. hundreds of thousands more in danger. thousands of flights canceled. public transit systems shut down. and a mad dash to stock up before the storm hits. this morning, what you need to know right now to keep your family safe. sam and our extreme weather team are live in the storm zone with the very latest. "good morning america's" special coverage starts right now. and you are looking at live

pictures from the east coast. all eyes right now on the tide. fears of a possible worst-case scenario. the mid-atlantic region in the path of the most dangerous part of the storm right now. with winds, high winds, water piling up and a full moon all coming together, there could be surging walls of water on this coast. good morning, america. robin is home recovering from her bone marrow transplant. we hope she's all strapped in and save as well. it's great to have amy robach here. >> thank you very much. we will have the latest on cruise ships in sandy's path. if you can imagine being out on the water right now. all the passengers and crew riding out the dangerous waves. wave heights already 24 feet. that's off of new jersey. it's only going to get worse from there. in fact, we're going to hear from a cruise ship captain right in the middle of the storm zone. can't even imagine what that's like. >> very scary. >> so very scary, thinking about all those folks. and we've got your sandy survival guide. everything that you'll need to keep yourself and your family

safe in the days ahead. and also, we've talked about it, how do you talk to your kids about sandy, not just the storm, but how to prepare for it. >> yeah, elliott is very upset with it this morning. >> sam and the team have been tracking the storm's path all night. and sam has just received the latest from the national hurricane center. sam? >> that's right, george. by the way, sandy is now moving a little bit faster and has made a little bit of a western movement. now moving north-northwest and accelerating, according to the hurricane center. by the way, you take a look at what we think will happen. those buoy reports that amy was talking about, that 24 feet off cape may, new jersey. 30-plus feet off north carolina. that means the waves are high. there's a lot of water with sandy, it's not just the waves, it's the surge. when you look at the surge expected to to be 3 to 6 feet in the light orange areas, 6 to 12 feet in the dark orange areas. right here in the new york harbor, we're standing, rolling water laps over the edge here. there is a little white cap

there. i'll tell you what, our ginger zee is standing right now up against the water in atlantic city, new jersey. look at this house in rodanthe, north carolina. parts are breaking off and falling into the ocean. there are many places like norfolk, virginia, where low-lying streets are already flooded. and there are thousands of customers without power. 85-mile-an-hour winds are already churning the surf. sandy's winds could be up to 90 miles an hour this afternoon, just short of a category 2. atlantic, city, new jersey, is seeing record high tides. there are 20-foot waves off the coast of long island, 30-foot waves off the carolina coast. and a daring coast guard rescue the "hms bounty" was stranded and taking on water. 14 people rescued and taken away by jayhawk helicopter. two people are still missing. all of this power, all of this

damage and sandy is still well offshore. what makes sandy special? this time of year, most tropical storms move east out to sea. sandy's traveling north and will turn west so its effects will be felt over a large land area. and this storm is monster sized. clouds stretching over 2,000 miles. tropical storm force wind, more than 1,000 miles. and as sandy makes its way up the eastern seaboard it's colliding with an arctic cold front from the west. add in the 150-mile-plus winds of the jet stream, and sandy is a superstorm. >> this storm is going to be destructive and essentially life threatening. >> the waves and the surf already crashing onshore? new jersey, and that's where ginger zee is. good morning, ginger. >> good morning, sam. we've had wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour already. we're going to easily get into that 60 to 80 miles per hour category. you're starting to see debris float in and out of the ocean. the tide is at its peak. remember, even though the angry

surf is here right now and it's very high, later, it's going to get higher. there is that iconic boardwalk, everybody knows it as well. that could easily have water on it. and we could see water coming from the other side of atlantic city. all the barrier islands are sliver thin as you go up new jersey. so that's what we're watching for as that storm makes its approach tonight. let's go ahead to nags head, north carolina, and find out matt gutman now. >> how about now? thanks, ginger. just to give you a taste of what we've been seeing here. for the past 36 continuous hours here, we've been bumped and battered here with the rogue wave. the beach was quiet and suddenly, this rogue wave nearly took me out. let's take a look at that video. in fact, the situation is so treacherous out here, 150 miles out to the east, the "hms bounty was the scene of a dramatic rescue.

17 sailors plucked off the ship by two coast guard helicopters. the propeller was out. they were taking on water. no indication of what their condition is. now, let's go back to sam. >> hey, matt, i just want to remind you, when you're watching those waves, you cannot time them like that. be very, very careful along the edge of that water. those waves are unpredictable. you'll be swamped by a double-height wave and then a liter wave will come in. now, we've got to take to the skies. there's a lot of trouble there, our jim avila is at reagan national airport with the flight troubles there. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, sam, you want to be alone this morning? come to the airport. this is reagan national airport, terminal c. normally, on a monday morning, this would be jam-packed with passengers, going back and forth on the shuttles on delta and u.s. air. as you see, the ramps are completely empty. so are the gates. the planes have all gone out of here. they've flown away. they're not coming in, all

cancellations. part of the 7,000 cancellations along the eastern seaboard today. it's affecting the flights all over the country. so it really is a problem. it paralyzes the entire nation's aviation corridors. because of what happens on the east coast. also, amtrak and greyhound bus lines have called off service that may last all the way till friday. let's go back now to sam. >> thanks, jim. by the way, jim, we want to rerack the piece on the coastal area and just show you the trouble that matt gutman got into. standing close to the shoreline. he was timing those waves out. watching that water move in. he's been in these situations a lot, by the way. and it even caught him. so our people are now being pulled off the shoreline now. we're pulling up. we're getting into a safer location. this is a perfect opportunity for us to tell you that we're out koecovering a storm -- unlia storm we have ever seen before.

and you can see the water swamping up around us. even right here at battery park. we're able to do this because we've seen these storms but this storm, it's very unpredictable. please do not try to get anywhere near the coastal waters. just take it easy. when the debris is flying and winds are flying, george, it's going to be really, really tough out here. >> we can see that. there are many more angles to a superstorm. josh is here with that. we're going to begin with the economic effects of hurricane sandy. it will be felt outside the eastern seaboard. and weekend "gma" anchor bianna golodryga joins us with more. good morning. >> good morning, josh. that's right. the new york financial markets are closed today. even their online operations. it's the first time weather has closed wall street since hurricane gloria since 1985. the last closing of any sort was for 9/11. there's been no decision as to whether the market will be open tomorrow. pfizer reports will be announced on thursday instead. and investors will wait to hear from several energy companies. and speaking of energy, the oil

industry is closely watching five refineries in sandy's path. we haven't seen a prestorm spike in gas prices as we have in previous hurricanes. those refineries along the east coast account for about 7% of the country's capacity. of course, it's not just oil we're talking about. most major retailers have at least 10% of their stores here in sandy's path. this storm will have a major impact on their business as well. we're going to keep an eye on all of this. josh? >> thank you for that, bianna. sandy also putting a chaotic spin on the final week of the election. president obama has canceled an event in florida to return to washington, d.c., to monitor the storm there. and mitt romney has canceled events in virginia. also this morning, maryland has called off early voting. as for the race itself, our latest abc/"washington post" poll finds mitt romney holding a one-point edge nationwide. it bears mentioning this is the first presidential race since 1960 in which neither candidate has exceeded 50% by this point.

now as for the battlegrounds, the polls show that the race is tied in virginia. and the president is holding a four-point lead in the all-important state of ohio. >> and we have never seen a race this close for so long. let's get to the other hurricane headlines. >> thank you, george. and we begin by saying that sandy is something of a showstopper. the impending storm causing the cancellations of broadway shows. for both last night and tonight. a spokeswoman for the broadway league said they were calling off performances for every show on broadway because the safety of theatergoers and workers are everyone's primary concern. tickets purchased through ticketmaster will be automatically refunded. and box office tickets will be refunded or exchanged as well. the statue of liberty was all ready for her grand reopening when sandy came to town. the 126-year-old lady liberty underwent a $30 million renovation. new stairs leading to her crown were replaced. wheelchair access to her observation decks added.

she was just to be to receive the public, but the superstorm will have to come first. she is expected to open for business on wednesday. that is, if sandy allows. and we humans are not the only ones nervous about hurricane sandy. animals, as many of you know, if you're a dog owner, can sense major storms coming. and often know if it's going to be bad. we found these pictures on buzzfeed.com to put a smile on your face. we want to remind to you care for your pets in this stressful time. if you have to evacuate, always do so with your animals. even if you have cats, yes, they can survive. bring your animals with you. also bring a supply of food and water for your pets. and make sure your pets have their i.d. tags on just in case. >> absolutely. ali took our dogs to the dog park. all of the dogs were off. >> i even heard birds really

chirping. it just sounded ominous. they can hear it. >> you know, if you really care about your dogs, don't dress them like that. if you really care. >> that's cute. >> let's get another check of the weather from sam. hey, and a footnote to lara, you're absolutely right about the pet situation. most communities now have adapted shelters for that. but check with your community to make sure that the shelter you're going to can handle pets. some can, some cannot. let's show you what's going on outside. of course, we're on full-time coverage of sandy as we watch new york harbor start rolling and ridesing here. a lot of waves on the coast this morning. but look to the northwest and there's a rainmaker coming onshore there. 2 to 3 inches of rain. storm watches out to idaho. northern idaho will expect flooding out of this rain situation. a quick look. l.a., boy, i wish i were standing on your coastline at 82 degrees. snow on san antonio, i'll take

that at 79 as well. orlando, it may feel gusty, you can feel that cool wind coming in at orlando. but i'll take that 62 from what we've got. one-third of this country watching sandy. >> you know, another quick little tip here with the storm blowing in, that cold air wrapping around it, the windchills here in new york are in the 40s now. so get prepared when you step out. it's not only windy and rainy. step out carefully, by the way, it's also going to be cold. back to the desk. lara.

>> all right, sam, thank you so much. be safe out there, please. here's a look at what's coming up on our "gma" "morning menu." the latest on the cruise ships in sandy's path right now. we'll hear from the captain in the middle of the storm. the waves are churning. also your superstorm survival guide. what you need to know to stay safe. and finally, how to talk to your kids about this storm. all that coming up live here on "good morning america" in times square. all that coming up live here on "good morning america" in times square. i gave birth to my daughter on may 18th,

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welcome back to "good morning america's" live team coverage of hurricane sandy. off the shoreline, still, we have with us again, this morning, the director of the national hurricane center, dr. rick knabb. rick, we're going to see a lot of pictures this morning. thanks for joining us, again, by the way, of coastal effects over the next couple hours. please remind folks about the inland effect of the storm. let's talk a little bit about that. >> well, sure. this is an important point to make. it will not just be a coastal system. even though it's moving quite fast right now, once it comes ashore, it's going to slow down. and it's going to be a long duration event for folks not just at the coast, by inland over the mid atlantic states into the northeast, everybody over in the ohio valley. and snowfall in other parts of the appalachians. once the weather starts getting bad where you are, it could last a couple days, even more. heavy rains, strong winds. we could have massive power outages over a large area of the northeastern part of the united states.

rainfall that could be a foot in some places when it's all said and done. could cause flash flooding on short time scales and that could lead to river flooding down the road. so this is definitely going to be an inland event. irene last year showed us just how possible that is. but it may not be in the same places. if you weren't affected by irene, you could be this time. >> a very important point to remind folks. because all morning long, we're going to be showing pictures. of the terrible situation along the coastline. as this storm moves inland, as you said, rick, and continues to stay there for a couple of days. thank you so much. i know you'll be with us for the duration of the storm and bring the latest of the storm as we get it. back to george. everyone has braced for sandy, but it's also made dangerous waves out at sea. we told you about the 24-foot waves off the new jersey coast. waves off the south carolina coast are now at 32 feet. so what does this mean for passengers on board cruise ships right now? abc's dan harris is back with

more. good morning, dan. >> good morning. this storm is making life very complicated for people who run the cruise industry. they're delaying departures and arrivals as we speak. it is also tricky, of course, for the people on the cruise ships. in fact, we just got off the phone with the captain, a man named vito giacalone from the carnival "miracle." sanld sandy is making waves up and down the coast. but this ship was cruising offer the coast of spain 2005 when a freak wave, more than 70 feet tall, crashed into the cruise liner, reaching the tenth floor. right now, there appear to be five cruise ships in the waters that sandy is churning. >> we are navigating through some serious weather, but we're not experiencing issues. we're being very careful. >> reporter: the aida "luna,"

the carnival "miracle" and "explorer of the seas" and "queen elizabeth ii." heading to the united kingdom. in 2010, this ship took large waves as it went to the passage. the ships in the water right now forced reroute and attempt to ride out the storm. some cruise lines have even canceled trips. so can cruise ships withstand the force of a hurricane? that's the question some people have. the goal of the cruise industry is to never find out. they always take major precautions. they sail hundreds of miles away from these storms. even then, the ships still deal with rough seas. we just talked to a passenger, just got off the phone with him this morning. he got off a ship near the storm zone yesterday and he said there were a lot of people there on the ship that were very, very seasick. >> what have you heard? >> his name was daniel. he was on the ship for days. he just got off and said he's still feeling sick. he told us, quote, everybody on board was feeling sick. you can imagine. >> thanks so much. all up and down the east coast, people have been

scrambling to prepare for this historic superstorm. and abc's ron claiborne is in long beach, new york, with the latest on all of that. good morning, ron. >> good morning to you, amy. as you see, the waters are already rigz and we're -- rising and we're still hours away from the worst. i'm on the berm here. this is going to be wiped out today, almost certainly. and the waters are the rising waters that will come over this berm and into long beach. and that is why people in this beach, several thousand, are scrambling, people all along the path of sandy are scrambling to buy last-minute supplies while they can, if they can. with sandy bearing down, at this trader joe's supermarket in new york, people were lining up. it's as though many only finally realized the monster storm was about to strike. >> i have no food at home. >> reporter: in some cities, shelves were stripped bare. >> we have batteries, we have flashlights. >> reporter: people are tweeting pictures in pennsylvania. the entire supermarket aisle cleared out. in new york, a run on canned

goods. in this picture, no bread, no water, only really long lines. others filled up their cars with expectation that gas stations will be shutting down. and everywhere, generators are a hot commodity. >> i'm looking at a generator. it's time to have backup. >> reporter: the wisconsin company generex shipped thousands of generators to meet the demand. and lowe's has increased product delivery to stores in sandy's path. with 96 truckloads of water, 8 truckloads of generators, and multiple flashlights and batteries. and home depot has sent hundreds of shipments of batteries to the east coast. >> baby food and all that. >> reporter: sold out? >> sold out. >> reporter: here in long beach, we met neal and his father's small convenience store. so they're buying lottery

tickets in adindition to water, eggs, and milk. ho do you figure that? >> they want more luck. >> more luck. the only hospital in long beach. it closed last night. the nearest hospital is six miles away. that might as well be 60 miles away. we're isolated here until this thing is over. back to you lara. >> thank you so much, ron. and you may be well prepared with all the supplies you think you need to ride the storm out. but the storm could bring health hazards. and for more on that, abc's dr. richard besser is here with what you need to know right now. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's start by saying just because you're prepared doesn't mean you're safe. they don't go hand in hand? >> that's right. you could do everything perfectly to this point. but if you're not careful after the storm hits you could put yourself and your family at risk. the good news is with a few small steps, you can keep everyone safe. >> first things first, food. >> when the power goes out, what do i do with my refrigerator? after four hours, you have to be

careful about what's in your refrigerator. leftovers, meat, get rid of it four hours after the power goes out. >> four hours after the power goes out, you need to be careful? >> that's the time. when it doubt, throw it out. your freezer, you get more time. if it's packed solid, 48 hours. half full, 24 hours. after that, get rid of that as well. >> how often are we allowed to go in the freezer to get food. >> each time you peek in, you cut down time. if you have ice in there with milk, for daily use, that's the way to go. >> and then let's talk about something that gives people a sense of security. but you need to be careful about your generator. >> yeah. when i ran emergency preparedness for the cdc. this is what worried us the most. every year, 500 people die from something called carbon monoxide poisoning. carbon monoxide is put out by generators. it's odorless. it's colorless. >> it's a silent killer. >> it's a silent killer. if you use the generator in the

house, you're putting yourself at risk. you want to use your generator at least 20 feet away from any doors, any windows. if you have carbon monoxide detectors make sure the battery in those are working. you want them anywhere people are sleeping. it's an avoidable risk. 15,000 people to the emergency room. these are preventible deaths and injuries. >> finally, don't forget to check on your neighbors. those who are homebound. >> the communities that do best are those who look after each other. you want to look at anyone who is vulnerable. anyone who is homebound. the elderly. you want to make sure they have their food, they have their water, anything they need. if you're checking in on everyone, you're all going to ride this through and people are going to be safe. >> we have tips to help you get through sandy. go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo!. we'll be back with a harrowing story. stay with us. a harrowing story. stay with us.

good morning. officials at sf tell us giants will be arriving home from detroit at 3:00 after we beat the tigers. after the game last night groups of some rowdy fans committed acts of vandalism. people turned a vehicle over on market street, climbed on cars and stopped traffic. firefighters put out a fire start odd on a muni bus vandals burned -- news racks. others clashed with police after being warned to clear the streets. sky 7 hd was overhead police made a few arrests. officials say they will release numbers later this morning. >> let's check in with sue.

we have a couple problems northbound 17 in the santa cruz mountains accident blocking off-ramp. west 37 at zanker. accident -- stall westbound 80 hilltop blocking right lane past there moderate on to the east shore freeway and bay bridge toll. fog on 101 southbound through central san rafael past civic center sluggish out of novato southbound. >> we

welcome bang. fog still the -- welcome back. fog still the big problem but won't delay the giants coming in. still very dangerous in some spots. 40s and 50s increasing

sunshine this afternoon, 70s from the coast, still going to rain wednesday evening. ♪ you see it right there. the east coast already getting pummeled by the impact of sandy. waves are churning up. the rain has started. the winds are kicking up. sam on the carolina coast. you saw more as well. of course, it's going to get worse as it moves up the coast and cuts in west. good morning, america. robin's home recovering from her bone marrow transplant this morning. amy robach here with breaking news this morning. >> that's right. you're looking at the atlantic city where the eye of the storm is expected to cross. our entire weather team is live in the storm zone. up and down the east coast. already some harrowing moments. >> indeed, there was a big rescue at sea by the coast guard. rescue helicopters have been pulling people off a tall ship. caught in the middle of it all. we're going to be talking to the

coast guard about that rescue live in just a moment. thinks about that. and also our kids. some 2 million kids home from school today. class is canceled. and for so many students up and down the east coast. it won't be just today. i know my own kids are out until at least wednesday. we've got tips on how to talk to your kids not just about the storm but to educate them. >> sam is leading the entire weather team coverage in lower manhattan. sam? >> good morning, everyone. i'm here with chris cuomo keeping an eye on the storm surge. chris, before we get that update. let's take a look at the latest information on the track and path of sandy, by the way. we move this storm line, continue to move it a little bit to the north-northwest. and then you follow that red line and then again still appears at midnight to 1:00 a.m. has been the timing on this. well ahead of that, its chris, it's surprising to me that we're sthang in the middle of new york

harbour right here in battery park. >> you're exactly right. this is high tiled now. this is a full moon rise right now. that's all. you shamed me into taking off my hood. but there's a cautionary word, this is going to be worse. you play on the beach, you're make a mistake. why? surge isn't just flooding, it's forceful water. with the force of this estuary. here's what we know about this, it's low lying. you know this already. from the people who came here, they didn't, 375,000 people had to be told to leave this area. if it fills up like a basin, with this force, you don't know what the damage is. at a minimum, it could affect transformers and powers. this is a financial district. it could stay that way for days until sandy says so. >> of course, you know, we've got folks in the water and all along the coastline so we need

to see if these cameras are up and moving. ginger zee, are you there in atlantic city, new jersey, camera and everything all right? all right. let's go to ginger. >> sam, there are low-lying areas where there's already standing water. because the tide is so hi and the moon so full that that's going to affect a big part of this storm. we're watching this super violent surf continuing to build closer and closer. you can really now, i'm close enough to the fencing and barrier here see how short it is. it's only my height. easily, the waves and the wind and the surge will move up to my height and likely on to that boardwalk. and that's what we're worried about, as far as flooding from this end. we keep talking and here it is, the conditions change as we go along. greering to keep adjusting so we can stay in a safe place. i have to tell you, water not a good place to be close to during this storm. let's keep you updated from here. for now, we'll head back to george. >> thank you, ginger.

stay safe. >> you to that dramatic rescue at sea. the coast guard pulling 16 people off the ship. i'm joined by is vice admiral robert parker, the director for the atlantic area. admiral, thank you for joining us. this is a famous shim. the "hms bounty" made famous in that movie "mutiny on the bounty." and you got a call it's taking on two feet per hour? >> that's correct. about 9:45 last night, we got a call from the owner that said they lost communications with the vessel. they were taking on water. over the next several hours, they set off emergency position indicating a radio signal to satellite their position and a distress. we actually maintained e-mail contact with the ship. until lost that capability as well. eventually, they abandoned ship with ten feet of water on deck. there's some question about whether or not there were 16 or 17 people on board. all abandoned into two life

rafts, rubber boats with canopies on top. we had an hc-130 overhead to respond to these types of events. once we knew they were sinking and abandoning, we launched h-60 helicopters. the first got on scene and started hoist. at this point, we have nine people in one helicopter. five in another. both of those helicopters are headed back to north carolina, the nearest point to get aide to those folks to make sure they're well taken care of. at this point, we have two or three people unaccounted for. and the vessel has completely sunk. >> vessel has completely sunk. do you know whether the two or three people were in the vessel or in lifeboats? >> we don't have that yet. this is very much breaking news. and i'm mindful that the reports are wrong. we're certainly hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. >> but you have 14 people safe and fully accounted for from

that ship? >> that's correct. >> admiral parker, thanks very much for that. we hope they find those other two. we want to go back to sam in lower manhattan. >> yeah, george, the seas are going to be as bad as anyone has ever seen them with this storm. accuweather's expert senior meteorologist bernie raidoff is with us. bernie, worst storm surge, who gets it? >> 6 to 10 feet, sam. it will be north of where the storm come in. we're expecting that storm as ginger talked about, around atlantic city, long island, jersey coast. also the shore, long island sound you as the water funnels into that. and of course, you've already talked about how that water's going to come funneling up the hudson and into lower manhattan. brooklyn and into queens. so this is going to be a devastating storm surge that is going to cut off barrier islands. and it may change them just because the ferocity of the wind and the surge.

>> yeah, there's some discussion about how the '38 storm changed the way how the outer long island islands looked. bernie, who gets the most rainfall out of this? >> well, i think the atmosphere is already telling us who gets the most rainfall. there's a band of heavy rain south and west of philadelphia, moving towards the baltimore/washington area. that's where it's aiming almost vertical or horizontal i should say. we're picking up 8 to 12 inches of rain stopping at firld, or the baltimore, washington area. lesser amounts of rain in new york city, two to four. but that's going to cause problems as well. we're looking at widespread flooding. certainly, flash flooding, and of course, we talked about problems along the coast. >> bernie, thank you so much for being with us. it's always good to have you with us, your eyes with us. watching the storm.

let's get to the weather maps and we'll show you what's going on, by the way. we need to talk a little bit about the rainfall forecast. we're going to show you where that rain is going. bernie kind of mentioned that heavy band of rain was already falling. raining sideways in a lot of locations. that yellow area is where the storm moves onshore, where the heaviest rain will fall through wednesday. remember, this storm is going to curve up through pennsylvania, curve up through western new york state and find a home in maine. there's an awful lot of rain with this storm. here's where the snow is falling. snow out of this storm? you better believe it. there's already blizzard warnings for the mountains of west virginia. and heavy hits of snow. meanwhile, on the west coast, we've got rain in the west. beautiful conditions.

>> folks, i know we've brought you through a lot of storms. some of them bigger than others and some of them smalls. please take this seriously and stay indoors if you can if you're watching our coverage of sandy. all of that was brought to you by progressive. it's important to make sure your children are aware of just how powerful this superstorm could be. so many schools are closed this monday morning. halloween festivities on hold. here are tips on how to talk to your kids about bracing for sandy, psychologist janet taylor. we're going to talk to her. but first, let's take a listen to what kids are saying first? >> i'm probably going to put sand all over my house. >> we're really afraid.

my dad is afraid. >> i guess i'm a little scared. >> how does that make you feel? >> kind of scared. >> i'm pretty scared. >> dr. janet taylor joins us. my own kids, mom, can we get extra flashlights. >> i'm nervous just not knowing. i think it's important for us to focus on the fact, our kids are hearing words like "monster storm." "superstorm." explain to them what a storm surge is. don't be afraid to say i don't know. look up words. >> we're glued to the television watching the storm coverage. should we be limited to that in terms of what our kids are seeing? how do you figure that out? >> absolutely. it's about exposure. remember, screen time is not just television, it's social media. be aware that your kids are looking at facebook, looking at twitter. and a lot of things that are

there may not be accurate and scaring them. >> what do you expect, all our kids are home from school right now, and they just want to watch the television or any kind of screen? >> well, monitor the screens but also have a preparedness plan and incorporate them them in that. give them what ifs. kids are focused on the big world, but more importantly what's happening in their own world. we can focus on having a safety kit. >> it made my daughter feel a lot better to know we have that first aid kit and those flashlights. and candles ready to go. what about trick or treating? i know that's a big concern for a lot of children. it's a lot of kids' favorite holiday. it's all about the candy. maybe we can create a new ritual inside. >> absolutely. we're worried about flooding and they're worried about candy and costumes. that's just being a kid. hide candy in the house. invite friends over if you can do that. or if you have to go to a

shelter. say, listen, we can make our own halloween day and we can decide. we have to prepare our kids to understand that things don't happen the way they're supposed to. >> that is good advice. sometimes, you have to switch things up and how to be safe. safety is obviously supreme. we have to take the right precaution. >> exactly. life like the storm is unpredictable. you have to be prepared and hope for the best. >> dr. janet taylor, thanks so much. coming up, guess what, jimmy kimmel is here this week. there he is. ready for the storm inside at "gma" studios.

♪ rain picking up out in times square right now. pretty empty this morning. most of the new york city shut down. but that has not stopped our next guest from coming inside right now. jimmy kimmel. >> how are you doing? >> i'm okay. >> i'm prepared for this storm. >> you sure are. >> i'm part of the extreme weather team. >> reporting live from times square. >> poor, sam. he's stuck out there -- he's got a big sticker on him. it's ridiculous. >> he loves it. >> i can't figure out if this is the best day of his life or the worst day of his life. >> ask him in about six hours. >> okay. >> all week long, "jimmy kimmel live" from brooklyn, a homecoming. you brought the rain with you? >> yeah. we've been planning this for like eight months.

we never really thought there would be a hurricane when we showed up. and it's terrible, because supposedly, the storm is going to hit exactly as i step on stage. >> you're taping at 7:00 tonight? >> yeah. >> that is peak period. >> kelly ripa is the guest. he's very small. she could easily fly away. we're going to have to anchor her down to something. >> what else are you doing for the storm? >> just panicking. they say the only thing you can do is panic. also, we went down to home depot and bought a generator. >> a couple of flashlights maybe? >> yeah, i don't know what we're going to do. i don't know if anyone will show up to see the show. i have it my head, people are counting on seeing the show. we gave them tickets. they load in, they want to see the show. i have a feeling i'll go there tonight and there will be four people and those four people will be my parents. >> this is not exactly the evacuation zone. people will show up, not only kelly ripa, but david letterman.

that's a life long dream? >> it is a life long dream. my license plate on my first car said "late night." my birthday cake when i was 18 years old said "late night." i was obsessed with david letterman. >> he's said no before, but he said he's going to do it? >> he said he's going to do it. what better excuse than a hurricane to not do a show. >> that is pretty good. what's life like to be here? i heard you went back to your old house? >> i did. i went back to the house i grew up. no basement. like anything you go and visit. very small. that's me. my mother used to dress me like a little -- >> that is very fancy. >> thank you. little knee socks. i probably don't look any less stupid now, i'm realizing. let me take off my -- less stupid. >> you can take the boy out of brooklyn but -- >> i went and visited the family

that lives there. they made me dinner. it was a lot of fun. >> so we're going to get to see some of that? >> yeah. we'll do that on the show. >> also howard stern? >> we may not see any of it. we may be preempted by this hurricane. curse you, sandy. >> you're going to tape no matter what? >> not no matter what. if we're ordered by the police not to tape the show, we're probably not going to do it. short of that, i'm planning on being there. i don't know if anyone else will be there. i will be there. what happened to broadway? what happened to the show must go on? cowards, all of them! >> thank you. you can watch "jimmy kimmel live" week nights at 12:00, 11:00 central here. we're going back to sam. we'll ask him how he's doing.

♪ this is new york city this morning. we've been all hands on deck all morning long, covering hurricane

sandy. we do want to check in one more time with sam. and chris cuomo is down in lower manhattan. sam? >> i know one thing we want to point out, george, by the way, the storm is still on track to move inland. and, chris, you and i are just astounded by the water that we've seen out here. and a couple things come to mind about cautioning people. >> absolutely. look, this is just moon tide that we're seeing right now. moon tide, high tide. it's certainly up over the wall's break. what do we know? what we don't know yet, but we know it's going to be bad. people are staying home saying i don't have to evacuate. i was fine last night. you're makes a mistake. coming in to look at this, you're makes a mistake. >> one of the things that's going to happen with a storm like that, it is going to change exponentially. the next wave of water that moves by, the next one may be four times higher than that. sometimes, you can time it. oh, i can get to the grocery

store. you're able to time it. but this storm, you're not able to time it. >> cars have less than ten inches of clearance. the water gets underneath your car, you're dead. it's not just flooding. there's force to this water. it can move structures. can it move people. you have to be very careful. >> it's one of the points, by the way, of us getting on and talking about the storm last week. and getting folks the information that they needed in what might happen in their area to get prepared for it. now that you are sort of prepared kind of settle in and wait the storm out. it will be a day in most cases. it might be two in new england where you'll get the wind effects with this. with power outages you may see folks without power for more than a week if the power outages are the way they are. >> and that's a concern. >> back to times square. >> as you point out. it's a long storm and a slow storm. we're going to see the effects

for days and days. you saw the water. >> i was on the battery in irene, i was down there last year. and it didn't let up. we still got a long way to go. >> we'll be right back.

and thanks for staying through the morning with all of us and our extreme weather team. abc news is tracking on air and online all day. watch the latest with diane sawyer later tonight. have a good day. "and what's your name?" "oh, it's flo." "and what do you do?" "oh, i sell insurance like no one else." "oh, that's nice." "thank you." now, that's progressive. call or click today.

good morning. the giants are scheduled to arrive home at 3:00 this afternoon after sweeping the tying win the world series. -- sweeping the tigers win the world series. bottom of the 10th, romo struck out cabrera looking to

end the game. giants win second title in three years. after the game some fans in san francisco turned to vandalism. sky 7 hd was overhead as they set fires. on market street overturned a vehicle, pounded on cars and set a muni bus on fire. >> right now let's check in with mike. dense fog advisory is over ended at 8:00, we are still very socked in around novato, napa, sfo flight arrival delays 50 minutes. the giants will not be delayed. sunshine in east bay valleys soon the rest of us noon, pockets of sun at the coast, 60s there, 70s inland. rain in the north bay for halloween. south bay north 85 past de anza accident blocking lane there north. sout